System and method for adorning shapes with data driven objects

• US 20060230342A1
• Filed: 04/11/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Leahy, Patrick, Woolf, Michael J., Nelson, Mark T., McBride, Cathy L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Adornments are applied to shapes in a diagram that graphically displays data about those shapes. Once the adornments are applied to a shape, the information displayed is automatically updated as the underlying shape data changes. The appearance of the diagram is updated automatically when the user updates the data for their shapes. The set of adornments that may be applied to shapes is extensible. A mechanism and interface is defined for creating additional adornments that have customized looks or behaviors.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for adorning shapes in a document with underlying data, comprising:

importing the data into the document, wherein a first entry of the underlying data is associated with a first shape of the document in a first adornment;

displaying the first entry of the underlying data in the document such that the first entry is displayed in proximity with the first shape according to a data display format;

determining whether additional shapes that are associated with the data display format exist in the document;

selecting one or more additional shapes to correspond to the first shape; and

updating the additional shapes to correspond to first shape when the selected additional shapes are present in the document.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein changes to the first entry of the underlying data are automatically reflected in the first adornment.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein changes to the first adornment are automatically reflected in the first entry of the underlying data.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein updating the additional shapes comprises adding additional adornments to the additional shapes that reflects the first adornment being added to the first shape.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein updating the additional shapes comprises editing existing adornments associated with the additional shapes that reflects edits to the first adornment.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein updating the additional shapes comprises customizing the data display format associated with the additional shapes that reflects a customization to the data-display format of the first shape.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first adornment corresponds to at least one of a callout shape, a color by value, a data graphic, and an icon set.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein associating the first adornment with the first shape is dependent on a condition related to the first entry of the underlying data.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first adornment is a particular type of adornment depending on a condition related to the first entry of the underlying data.

10. A system for adorning shapes in a document with underlying data, comprising:

a drawing application that includes computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions comprising;

associating a first entry of the underlying data with a first shape of the document in a first adornment;

displaying the first entry of the underlying data in the document such that the first entry is displayed in proximity with the first shape according to a data display format;

determining whether additional shapes that are associated with the data display format exist in the document;

selecting one or more additional shapes to correspond to the first shape; and

updating the additional shapes to correspond to first shape when the selected additional shapes are present in the document.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the drawing application is further configured to provide a data explorer pane that provides a view of the underlying data in association with the document.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the drawing application is further configured to provide a data display format task pane that provides for selection and customization of the data display format in association with the document.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein changes to the first entry of the underlying data are automatically reflected in the first adornment.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein changes to the first adornment are automatically reflected in the first entry of the underlying data.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein updating the additional shapes comprises adding additional adornments to the additional shapes that reflects the first adornment being added to the first shape.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein updating the additional shapes comprises editing existing adornments associated with the additional shapes that reflects edits to the first adornment.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein updating the additional shapes comprises customizing the data display format associated with the additional shapes that reflects a customization to the data display format of the first shape.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for adorning shapes in a document with underlying data, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

displaying a first entry of the underlying data in the document such that the first entry is displayed in proximity with a first shape in a first adornment according to a data display format;

determining whether additional shapes that are associated with the data display format exist in the document;

selecting one or more additional shapes to correspond to the first shape; and

updating the additional shapes to correspond to first shape when the selected additional shapes are present in the document, wherein updating the additional shapes includes at least one of adding additional adornments to the additional shapes, editing existing adornments associated with the additional shapes, and customizing the data display format associated with the additional shapes.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the first adornment corresponds to at least one of a callout shape, a color by value, a data graphic, and an icon set.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising providing at least one of a data explorer pane that provides a view of the underlying data in association with the document, and a data display format task pane that provides for selection and customization of the data display format in association with the document.